Gert Scholtz Blog

Happy Birthday, Dr Ali Anani! May you have many happy returns of the day. To celebrate, I believe the following is the Arabic version of the song Happy Birthday: · eid milad saeid alduktur eali eanani! qad yakun ladayk aledyd min aleayidat alsaeidat lhdha alyawma. lilaihtifal , ...

Sometimes I make an effort to give my children a unique experience – only to realize later I have actually experienced something quite outstanding. After some begging and cajoling by my two late teens, a few months ago I purchased tickets for the “not to be missed” rock concert c ...

On BeBee we have come to know Paul Walters as an eminent travel writer. From all parts of the world, he gives us a tantalizing glimpse of people and places. Perhaps lesser known is that Paul is also an accomplished novelist and a successful former advertising copywriter. His nove ...

Steven Wright is a favorite comedian of mine. Known for his deadpan dry and droll  jokes, he is ranked number 15 of the top 50 stand-up comedians of all time by Rolling Stone Magazine.  · His quirky twists to perspectives, and his acute sense of the unexpected, certainly indicate ...

I never realized how experienced and knowledgeable Jerry Fletcher is until this interview. He joined BeBee in January 2017 and I have always found his comments on posts encouraging and generous. His own posts cover topics such as branding, marketing and business strategy. Jerry k ...

This is the loudest post I have ever done on BeBee.  · For some reason, I recalled some of my favorite music videos and wondered about the history thereof. Years ago in South Africa there was a TV program on Friday evenings called Pop Shop. In fifteen short minutes of the program ...

I am pleasantly surprised · every time I receive a comment on a post in my home language. Perhaps others would also like a remark in their home language every so often. Below are four basic English comments, with the foreign translations following in sequence. · Of course, if you ...

Once upon a time there was a narrative. It came along when we were born and neatly nestled itself in our mind - as yet blank and looking upon the world and the people around us. It started only with our genetic imprint but then slowly, as we took in images and experiences it grew ...

Here I am, trying to tempt you to travel to and visit the southern tip of Africa. Voted by many as one of the most beautiful countries in the world, its natural wonders are diverse and there is a rich expanse of places to see and visit. Not only do five friendly Bees come from he ...

Few experiences on BeBee are as satisfying as interviewing others or reviewing their work. · I am privileged in that some great minds have agreed to honor my questions with insightful replies. I highly recommend it: choose others you are interested in, you learn from or of whom y ...

THE SERIOUS PART · According to formal sources, neologisms are newly coined terms, words, or phrases, that may be commonly used in everyday life but have yet to be formally accepted as constituting mainstream language.  · THE MUCH LESS SERIOUS PART · To me, neologisms are simply ...

Pascal Derrien is one of the few Irish Bees here on BeBee. He joined around the same time as I did and I have always found his writing authentic, creative and often provocative. Curious about this enigmatic and humble person, he kindly agreed to an online interview. Enjoy the rea ...

This is me, your Dog.  · Let's leave the woofs, howls and barks. Let's talk - just you and me. I don’t understand your overly complicated language but let me speak in your parlance. It’s time to clear the air, it's time to pull the leash straight. · Your language rings in my ear ...

Time goes fast, time goes slow. · There are times when we stop to think about time itself. How we see it, how we experience it, how it passes. How the past weaves into the now, and how the present shapes our anticipation of things to come. · How does our perception of time shape ...

I looked back at · a series of interviews Sara Jacobovici did last year with a few Bees. At the end of each interview, she asked each person to share a quote that inspired them. Now I must say I am usually not a big fan of inspirational or motivational quotes, but I actually foun ...

Legend has it that Ernest Hemingway once won a short story competition with a sad tale of only six words: "Baby shoes; for sale. Never worn".  · Larry Smith, a magazine founder, asked readers to submit their life stories online in six words. He received more than a million respon ...

Ken Boddie is always a welcome presence on BeBee. He comments extensively, posts on a wide variety of topics, and is one of the most engaging people on the platform. He has the unique knack of lifting the spirit with poetic comments and humorous remarks.  · This post is a tribute ...

Phil Friedman kindly agreed to an interview with me. We both have been on BeBee for some time, and I find his posts and comments incisive and insightful. Interested to know more about his views and more about Phil the person, we exchanged emails. Here then are the Q’s all the way ...

Today I have been on BeBee for two years. My main motivation for being here is to learn more about blogging and the art of short form writing, and too widen my interests through other's posts and online engagement. I don’t consciously build a personal brand, I am not trying to ma ...

There are few posts that I open with as much anticipation as those of Paul Walters. · His travel stories transport me to another time and place. His other pieces contain a real human element - some are funny, some are serious, some are tragic, but all reveal something of the huma ...